4711 We think it is a solitary burrowing bee, a fellow plotholder thinks a mining carder bee, but I have been unable to find a definitive website to be sure. If you are able to ask and perhaps help we would be so grateful.

Thanks for all your posts too and suggestions, it is most appreciated.

I'll have a look out for that and give it a try. We have tried bonfires to see if that would discourage them and although it does for a while we clearly can't keep fires going for long. A few I could live with, but this many is out of hand. I guess we didn't have a very hard winter last year and perhaps more survived the winter than usual. I think if we don't try to address it this year then they will continue to spread across the plots. I suppose I should feel honoured that they deem the plot suitable for their home but I don't at the moment.

Thanks for your suggestions. I hadn't thought of the Avon Wildlife Group. I understand beekeepers aren't interested in solitary bees. Our two plots aren't dry at all, in fact they have been pretty much a quagmire all summer and we've barely been able to work them. We have pretty good soil but underneath is a lot of Bath stone and some clay. You can clearly see hundreds of tiny holes some of which have mounds of soil around them. I did try some digging early this morning but once the bees started to emerge and I was encroaching on their area they started buzzing around more intensely so I stopped.

Unfortunately not. The allotment office replied that he'd never come across it before and that he was forwarding my message to the pest control department. A week on and still no response. Will chase then up this week. Would prefer to encourage them to move myself really but so far there has been no help from either the allotment officer or the allotment association rep. It would appear that we are going to have to crack this ourselves, hence the reason for this plea for help.

Myself and my adjacent plotholder have a problem with what we think are solitary or burrowing bees. We had a few this time last year but this year we have thousands. Although they do not seem aggressive, and we know they are beneficial insects, there are simply too many now to be able to work the plot in full confidence. Whilst we try to garden organically we have now got to the point where it has got out of hand. Have contacted the local authority allotment officer who says he has never come across it before and has no idea what to do. Have been referred to pest control but no reply from them as yet. As we are not 100% sure what type of bee they are we are scared that we are going to be stung or a swarm will form. Advice will be gratefully received.